Hollywood Park Reports Handle Up 13.8%

Hollywood Park reported increases in field size and handle during its 26-day Autumn meet, which ended Dec. 18.

The handle on races run at Hollywood Park was up 13.8% to $151,319,791 compared to $132,933,380 during a comparable six-week period in 2010. The fall meet last year began one week earlier and included two days of Breeders’ Cup World Championships simulcasts. The track reported the average daily live race handle increased by 9.5% but did not supply the actual figure.

Complete handle figures—including wagers on imported races—will reportedly be available after the holiday season.

The average field size in 2011 was 7.89 starters per race compared to 7.33 a year ago.

"We’re very pleased that wagering on our live product was up over last year,’’ said Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau. "The larger fields definitely contributed to the increase.’’

The average daily Southern California attendance on-track attendance declined 5.1% from 9,680 in 2010 to 9,187. The 2010 meet did include a Zenyatta appreciation day (Dec. 5) that attracted 17,868 fans.